Dubs in the Forest was the first VW event we were due to attend this year, an event organised by the New Forest Dub Club and held in at the New Forest Showground at New Park near Brockenhurst.

We made good time heading South, arriving at the site at around 6pm and found ourselves a quiet corner suitable for us and the two other Brazilian campers who would arrive a little later.

Preparing supper in the sun!

Despite the wet weather that had been forecast – we’d dodged a few showers on the way – the evening turned out to be dry and bright although the clear sky did mean we were in for a chilly night. The other campers arrived and the field slowly filled, and we sat around a picnic table chatting and enjoying the sounds from the entertainment marque at the other end of the field.

Saturday morning started well with our normal breakfast and tidy up routine, but rain soon arrived so we donned our waterproofs and went off to investigate the trade stands and displays.

Dubs in the Forest is a relatively small show, although it gets bigger each year, so there were only a few trade stands to look at. That said, there was a good selection and several we’d not seen before, so great to have a good look at everything they offered.

There were a few displays and activities organised, and although the weather was trying hard to interrupt things, everything went as planned and those who braved the conditions (including us!) enjoyed them.

We treated ourselves to fresh baked pizza for lunch, thanks to the Great British Pizza Company then headed back to our campers to catch up with a few other Brazilian camper owners who had come along as day visitors for a visit.

The weather continued to worsen into the evening, but there was a great band playing in the entertainment marque and a supply of good beer from the bar so everyone continued to have a good time.

Packing up in the rain

On Sunday morning it was obvious just how much rain had fallen over night and several of the campers (mostly T4 and T5s!) struggled to get out of the field. A few needed ‘extra’ help and one or two needed to be pulled out with a 4×4. I’m pleased to say that all the Brazilian campers made it out of the field without any problem although they would all need a good clean to remove splattered mud!

Once packed up we joined the cruise through the New Forest to Lepe beach, the route had to be altered due to local flooding and only half of the car park at Lepe was available for the same reason, but lots of people stopped to look at the convoy and once again everyone had a great time.